NFL Rumors: Panthers fans file petition to remove $20,000,000,000 worth David Tepper as franchise owner
The Carolina Panthers are in a state of crisis.
They are the worst team in the NFL right now, at a miserable 2-14. Frank Reich failed to last the full season as head coach, being fired after 12 games. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young, whom they selected first overall in the draft, has been struggling with a subpar offensive cast around him.
Meanwhile, owner David Tepper, worth $20 billion, has drawn the ire of fans for seemingly refusing to invest in the team. He sparked further controversy for attacking Jacksonville Jaguars fans with a drinking cup during a 26-0 loss in Duval last Sunday.
This led a certain Joey Blethen, on behalf of Panthers fans, to beg Commissioner Roger Goodell to remove Tepper from ownership. His petition on Change.org states the following reasons besides the firings, trades and draftings:
"-Widely reported as constantly meddling with the coaching staff causing an everyone out for themselves mentality and leading to the Panthers being 1 of the least desirable franchises to coach for."
"-Backed out of 2 large scale development projects that would have brought economic development to those communities and the surrounding areas."
"-Has shown repeated anger issues."
He closed it by saying:
"Simply put his ownership tenure has been an embarrassment to this franchise and the Carolina Panthers Fans deserve better leadership."
The petition has garnered 1,260 signatures out of its target of 1,500 as of this writing.
Can the NFL remove David Tepper from the Panthers?
The David Tepper saga has, at least for the time being, been resolved, with him issuing an apology and being fined $300,000 for his antics in Jacksonville. However, can he be ousted from the Carolina Panthers' ownership?
The NFL, via its Executive Committee, has the power to do so. Each team has a representative sitting in it, usually its (primary) owner or executive, meaning 32 members.
An owner can be removed from his/her team if found “guilty of conduct detrimental to the welfare of the league or professional football." However, doing so will require a three-fourths (24/32) vote from the committee.
So far, no such event has occurred in the NFL, but misdeeds have led to ownership changes. In 1999, Eddie Bartolo Jr. sold the San Francisco 49ers to his sister Denise York after being suspended one year for failing to report an extortion attempt.
The Panthers themselves have been the subject of an ownership change - Tepper's predecessor, the late Jerry Richardson, sold the team in 2018 after sexual misconduct allegations against him arose.
And most recently, Dan Snyder sold the Washington Commanders to a Josh Harris-led consortium in the wake of an investigation into alleged workplace toxicity that he had cultivated during his tenure.